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WCIA has changed to a charitable incorporated organisation

The trustees of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs (the WCIA) have decided that converting the charity’s status from a charitable trust to a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) best serves the charity’s interests. As a result, in May 2014, the assets, business and affairs of the original WCIA charity (registered charity number 259701), were transferred to a newly created CIO with the same name and logo (registered charity number 1156822).

A CIO is a new legal form for a charity. Whilst it is an incorporated organisation, it is not a company and has to register with the Charity Commission, not Companies House. The Charity Commission has more information.

Our Chief Executive, Martin Pollard says that the main advantages of a CIO over the traditional charitable trust form are that:

“The WCIA now has a legal personality of its own,which means it can conduct business in its own name, rather than in the name of the trustees.
Also, a CIO’s trustees are usually personally safeguarded from the financial liabilities the charity incurs, which is not normally the case for unincorporated charities.
Our change of status will have no external impact on the WCIA’s work. Becoming a CIO will not affect our aims, activity plans, membership structures, accounting arrangements or ability to fundraise; nor does it affect our ability to operate under the separate names of CEWC and UNA Wales.
This is an exciting time for the WCIA with our bid for Heritage Lottery funding to support our Wales for Peace project.
The WCIA is most grateful to Martyn Robinson of Geldards LLP Cardiff office for all his hard work and assistance in effecting a smooth transfer of operations and for his and his firm’s generosity in providing pro bono legal services.”

Giselle Davies (Head of Charity Law and Social Enterprise at Geldards LLP) said “I am delighted that my team was able to support the work of WCIA by dealing with their transition to a corporate body in order to provide a safe platform for the future development of the organisation and the excellent work they undertake for the people of Wales”.
Geldards has a Charities and Social Enterprise section that acts for all types of charitable organisations.